COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2963, 29 December 1916, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Customs duties. collected at the iport of Wellington yesterday amounted to £1102 6s. 2d. WHOLESALE PRODUCE PRICES. Messrs. Lacry and Co.. Ltd., Allen Street, report wholesale prices as follows Fowls' wheat, prime, 6s. 9d.,-per bushel; fowls' barley,' 4s. per bushel; Cape barley, seed, 4s. 6d., per bushel; maize, feed, ss. 6d. per bushel; chaff, oatsheaf, £6 ss. per- ton; hay! clover and meadow, £4 15s. per ton; flour, in sacks, £16 10s. per ton; oatmeal, 25's, £19 per ton; bran, £4 15s. per ton; pollard, £7 ss. to £7 10s. per ton; potatoes, table, £10 to £12 per ton. ' Bacon (all best factory), sides, lid. lb.; rolls, ls.-Jb.j liams, la. lb.; shoulders, 9Jd. • lb. Cheese (factory), medium, 10d. lb.; loaf,, lid. lb.; linseed oil meal. 100's, £11 10s. '/per ton; linseed nuts, £12 10s. ton; linseed ground cake, £12 10s. ton; whole linseed, £25 ton; onions, Victorian, £13 10s. ton. All poultry in very good demand. Hens, 4s. to fo. pair; cockerels, 6s. to Bs. pair; .ducks (Pekin and Aylesbury), 9s. to 10s. pair; ducks (Indian runners), ss. to' 6s. pair; turkeys (gobblers), Is. 2d. to Is. 3d. lb.; turkeys (hens), le.> lb.; butter (prime bulk), Is. 2d. to Is. 3d. lb.; eggs,, fresh; Is. 6d. to 16.'73. (Jpzen.

INSURANCE AFTER THE WAR. Lloyd's underwriters are preparing to meet, the new conditions which will arise, after the war. For the last two years the marine insurance-, market generally has benefited in no inconsiderable degree by tho prodigious increases in tho value of tonnage and the rise in freights. Insurance rates also, as compared with' the pre-war standard of premiums, have been phenomenally high, and these factors have caused-an expansion in the English market hitherto unknown. After the termination of 'hostilities such abnormal conditions must naturally cease. In order to promote an equitable adjustment of the shipping and insurance interests, the committee of Lloyd's has submitted im- ; portant resolutions to the British Government. Of chief interest are 'those relating to the total exclusion of all firms and, dealers of enemy origin frdm tlie marine insurance market, as well as others, regarding tho ultimate terms of peace, as far as the British mercantile marine is concerned. It is most strongly urged that, no peaco proposal should be entertained until compensation is made by Germany for shipping' wantonly destroyed.

LAST SEASON'S TEA CROP. Expectations regarding -the production' of a record tea crop last season were fully realised,- India. Ceylon, and Java, having gathered over 100,000,0001b. more than in tho previous year. Notwithstanding that increase, however, 6tocks in tho United Kingdom at the end of June last w.cro only 12,000,0001b. greater than

(it even dato in 1915. Commontlng upon 1 the position and prospects of tea, Mr. 0. H. Heath, chairman of Harrisons and Crosfield, Ltd., speaking at the annual meeting of tho company, said tho world had consumed tho great bulk of the additional supplies, not only easily, but at priccs fully Id. per lb. above those of tho previous season. Of tho total gain in output, Russia took nearly half. It could, not bo cxpected that there would bo any increaso in supplies available this* year; on the other hand, h© anticipated some reduction. Imports into the United Kingdom for the nine months of this year had amounted to 273,000,0001b., aa against 300.000,000 for the corresponding period of 1915. Obviously, therefore; no material drop in the price "was likely to occur, and producing companies appeared sure of very satisfactory results for another year. The consumption of all the tea that could, bo produced' for some years ahead at remunerative rates to producers would appear to be assured, and the only feature worthy of notico on the other mdo was that, as was anticipated when the British.duty on tea was raised t<) Is. per lb., there had been apparently a diminution in tho home consumption, which from January to September this year amounted to 225,000,0001b., as against 246,000,0001b. last year.

VISIBLE TVEJUT SUPPLY. (Rcc. December 28, 5.5 p.m.) Chicago, December 27. The American visible wheat supply cast of the Rockies is estimated by "llradstrewte"' at bushdls —Aus.-N.Z. Onblo Assn.